This invention relates to collapsible luggage trolleys of the type which include an item of luggage, such as a suitcase, which incorporates a conventional handle for carrying the luggage, and a set of wheels by which the luggage may alternatively be towed with the aid of a collapsible handle or similar arrangement.
Luggage trolleys of this type may be either soft-sided or hard-sided i.e. typically made of a rigid plastics material designed to withstand shock and thereby prevent or inhibit damage to the contents of the item of luggage. If the luggage is of the soft-sided variety then the wheels are normally attached to a rigid tubular structure on the other end of which is a handle which may be telescoped outwards for use or may be stored inside or outside one side of the luggage so that it can be carried by the hand by means of a conventional handle or stored away, for example, in the baggage compartment of an aeroplane. With certain known kinds of hard-sided luggage the tubular frame is inserted within the inner wall of one side of the luggage so that only the handle and the wheels at respective upper and lower ends of the luggage are visible externally. If the luggage is required to be towed it is a simple matter to remove the handle from its stored position and telescope it outwardly so as to permit the user to easily tow the luggage along the ground by use of the wheels.
A disadvantage of such known kinds of collapsible luggage is that they all rely upon the ability of the handle to be telescoped outwardly for use or telescoped inwardly for storage.
Because light weight is essential the telescopable tubes attached to the handle for this purpose are usually made of aluminum or a similarly lightweight material. Especially where the luggage is of the soft-side type and the telescopable tubes are on the outside of the luggage, they are prone to damage such that the handle may be difficult to telescope outwardly into its usable position, or if the damage has occurred whilst it has been so extended, difficulty arises in restoring the handle to its stored position.
Even with hard-sided luggage this problem is not entirely alleviated because carelessness in loading or unloading items from the inside of the luggage may result in damage to the tubular members.
A further disadvantage of such known types of luggage trolleys is that the tubular members are somewhat unsightly and also take up additional space which may otherwise be used for storing items inside the luggage, or for reducing the amount of total space the luggage takes in a storage compartment, such as the baggage compartment of an aeroplane if the tubular members are on the outside.
It is an object of the present invention to obviate or eliminate the foregoing disadvantages.
According to the invention, there is provided a luggage trolley comprising an item of luggage, wheel means disposed on one side and at one end of the luggage and adapted to permit the luggage to be towed when tilted, and a collapsible handle secured to at least one telescopable member and disposed at or near the end of the luggage remote from the wheel means, characterised in that the trolley comprises or includes a generally rigid housing adapted to be secured to the luggage for containing or including the handle and the at least one telescopable member, the handle being movable between a stored position inside or adjacent to the housing, in which position the or each telescopable member is substantially protected by the housing, and an extended position in which the handle may be used for towing the item of luggage via the wheel means.
Preferably, the housing is of hard rigid plastics material and includes an openable upper lid which is spring biased into a closed position so that when the or each telescopable member and the handle are in their stored positions within the housing, they are not visible when the lid is closed. In an alternative embodiment, the handle may be permanently exposed on the outer surface of the housing which may preferably be formed with recesses which permit the handle to be stored in a contiguous manner so that it does not protrude from the housing itself. Preferably, with such an arrangement the housing also includes additional recesses to permit the user of the handle to grasp it and move it from its stored position to its working position. Conveniently, the handle may include hinge means so that it may be hinged outwards from the housing and then pulled upwards along the or each telescopable member.
Where the housing is to be used with hard-sided luggage, it may conveniently be affixed to the outside thereof, or alternatively affixed to an inner surface of the luggage adjacent an appropriately shaped aperture permitting the handle and the or each telescopable member to be moved from stored to open positions for use.
Where the item of luggage is of the soft-sided kind the housing may preferably be secured to a rigid support member secured to the inside or outside of the luggage between the housing and the to provide rigidity. It will be appreciated that because the housing separately protects the or each telescopable member that any damage caused to such a rigid support member will not affect the operability of the handle.